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Thousands of Protesters Rally in Pakistani Capital

Thousands of Pakistanis fed up with a government they say is corrupt and indifferent
to the plight of common citizens descended on the capital Monday, responding to
the call of a charismatic cleric who has quickly become a powerful but mysterious
political force.

The dramatic entry into Pakistani politics of Tahir-ul-Qadri, a preacher who
until recently lived in Canada, has sparked concern from some that he is seeking
to derail elections expected this spring at the behest of the powerful army.

Qadri has denied those allegations and insisted his vaguely worded demands for
election reform are simply meant to root out corruption in the political system.
He pledged several weeks ago to lead a "million-man march" on Islamabad on Monday
to press his demands.

The turnout appeared to fall far short of Qadri's promise, but there was no lack
of enthusiasm from the crowd. Many waved green and white Pakistani flags and wore
buttons emblazoned with the cleric's picture. Although some spoke of election reform,
most were focused on demands like fixing the country's rampant energy shortages
and rooting out corruption.

"There is no electricity and no gas, and the government has done nothing," said
Faizan Baig, a 23-year-old pharmaceutical company worker who traveled to Islamabad
from the northwest town of Abbottabad. "Qadri feels pain for the people, while the
government feels no pain for the people."

Baig was among about 10,000 people who streamed into the capital throughout the
day Monday and camped out on the main avenue running through the city. Male protesters
gathered on one side of the road while women and children were on the other, divided
by a grass median.

Qadri left his home base in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday accompanied
by at least 15,000 people in hundreds of vehicles, but he had not yet arrived in
Islamabad by Monday evening. The numbers were expected to grow as the procession
reached the capital, and Qadri's spokesman, Shahid Mursaleen, claimed they still
planned to deliver a massive crowd.

But Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who has not hidden his disdain
for Qadri, estimated the total crowd in Islamabad would not exceed 25,000.

The government set up dozens of shipping containers in the capital to prevent
protesters from reaching key government areas. Thousands of paramilitary forces
and police in riot gear were also deployed throughout the city and cell phones were
jammed after the government warned that militants were planning to attack the protesters.

The demonstrators established a make-shift stage on top of one of the shipping
containers set up by the government, and people took turns delivering fiery speeches
extolling Qadri. Helicopters providing security buzzed low overhead to the delight
of the protesters, who waved their flags and cheered.

"I have responded to the call of our leader for a revolution," said Mohammed
Aslam, a 52-year-old farmer who traveled from the central Pakistani city of Sargodha.
"The country's leaders usually ignore the voice of the poor, but I think this event
may change that."

Qadri returned to Pakistan in December after years in Canada, where he's also
a citizen. He heads a religious network in Lahore and gained some international
prominence by writing a 2010 fatwa, or religious opinion, condemning terrorism.